Winner will appear in Taste of Home magazine, cook with Carla Hall, and take home $25,000
Being the chef people cherish, whose food feels like home. Every dish I make is seasoned with love, and that’s what makes me feel whole.
Want to learn more about our competition?
Learn MoreWant to be notified if their position changes?
Receive Text Updates
My signature dish, the kind of dish that fills your stomach and your heart the moment you walk through the door. That dish is pozole. I start with tender pork stew meat simmering until it’s fall‑apart soft. Then I blend guajillo chiles with seasoning to build that deep, rich flavor that takes the broth to the next level. After that, I add the hominy and let everything cook together until it becomes the kind of stew that warms you from the inside out. See picture below of final product.
Who is your culinary inspiration?The one person who has inspired my life the most is my mother. The love she pours into every meal she makes is extraordinary — you can taste her care in every bite. But watching her cook for her grandchildren has been something else entirely. There’s a tenderness in the way she moves, a joy in the way she serves them, that feels almost unbelievable. I aspire to be like her as I grow older: generous, steady, and full of quiet, powerful love.
What would you do with the $25,000?I would focus on self‑development, sharpen my cooking skills, and open a food truck.
Vote for Norma Espinoza Ramirez to be the next Favorite Chef while supporting a great cause! Cast your free daily vote below, or make an even bigger impact when you vote by donation, supporting the James Beard Foundation and their mission to lead chefs and the broader culinary industry toward a new standard of excellence.
